Recovery
by Angel Benders
Summary: Korra's been having a hard time getting over the events of the last few days. Ever since Amon disappeared she's been having nightmares, and the stress is taking a toll on her. So when Korra wakes up screaming in the night Tenzin suggests Korra has a few days off. Makorra in later chapters.
1. No Ordinary Nightmare

_She isn't sure what she's living for anymore. Her connection to three of the elements were severed, she only has the ability to use one. Even though she's tried desperately numerous times through many dire situations, she still couldn't connect with her spiritual self. After all this time she thought she would have, but now she's starting to doubt she ever will connect with her spiritual self and restore her ability to bend all four elements._

_Katara's attempts to heal Korra failed, everyone had tried everything they could think of to restore her bending. None of them worked. So here she was, an Avatar who could only bend air, an Avatar who couldn't connect to her spiritual self, a failure._

_She looked at the people in the room with a sad smile, and left. Now, she ran. She ran as hard as she could until she reached the edge of the cliff where she broke into tears. Doubled over, she cried, she was no good to anyone now._

_The weight of the situation took its toll, her body shook violently with exhaustion as she stood up, facing the vast, cold ocean before her. Looking down over the cliff edge, she felt she had nowhere else to go, so she jumped. She fell silently, moving faster and faster until…_

Korra was jolted from her sleep at that moment screaming. She was sweating and had been tossing and turning all night.

Footsteps came from down the hall and the door burst open. "Korra, are you alright, I heard you scream," Tenzin said frantically. He had obviously bolted to her room as soon as he heard her.

"I'm fine Tenzin, it was just another nightmare," Korra replied, short of breath. But that wasn't true. It wasn't just another nightmare, she dreamed of… No, she didn't want to dwell on that particular moment any longer.

"You don't look so good Korra. Why don't you come downstairs and we'll fetch you a cup of tea and we can talk, you've woken up in the night a number of times lately," Tenzin said gesturing for Korra to get up.

"That would be a good idea, I think," she replied, cautiously getting out of her bed and allowing herself to steady before walking towards the door.

It had been two weeks since Amon vanished and now Republic City was at peace, for the most part. However Korra most certainly did not feel at peace herself, her mind was in turmoil. Her bending was restored, she could now enter the Avatar state at will making her a fully realised avatar and she was now with Mako. That should make her feel happy, or at least she thought it should. But her nightmares were saying otherwise.

Every night since Amon disappeared, she had nightmares. The most frequently occurring scenario was being in a situation where her bending was not restored and was left only an Air Bender, still unable to reach her spiritual self. Plenty of her nightmares involved crying at the cliff edge, but tonight she dreamt that she jumped off it.

The thought of jumping of the cliff shook her to the core; it was one of the most horrifying thoughts.

Tenzin led Korra down the hall, down the stairs and to the kitchen. She walked over to one of the windows while Tenzin ventured to the cupboard and boiled water.

It must have been in the early hours of the morning, she could only spot a few dim lights coming from Republic City. She opened the window and felt a soft, cold breeze come through, and she could see it rustling the leaves of a tree just outside. It was a refreshing sensation, something she needed at this point in time. As she looked up, stars were visible all across the sky, causing a soft smile to creep onto her face. It was a beautiful night outside.

"Tea's ready," Tenzin called from behind her, half-startling her as she was so intently staring out the window.

"Sure, one moment Tenzin," She called back and took in another deep breath of the fresh air. Turning slowly she made her way across to the table where Tenzin had placed two cups of tea, and sat across from him.

She picked up the tea; it was Jasmine, one of her favourites. It was very hot, perfect, she thought. She watched the steam dance out of the cup and she breathed in the beautiful Jasmine scent.

"I've heard you scream a number of times during the last few nights Korra, is something troubling you?" Tenzin broke the silence, looking at her with furrowed eyebrows.

Korra took her time to think about what she wanted to say and then spoke, "Well, ever since Amon took my bending I've been having nightmares. I know that I have it back, that I'm now a fully realised avatar and all that but for some reason, it haunts me in my dreams."

Tenzin studied her for a short while and spoke, "I understand that what happened was terrifying but it's quite concerning that you're having nightmares even though things were resolved. Is anything else troubling you, just stress in general by any chance?"

Korra thought over what was happening in her life right now. It was her responsibility to guide the restoration of Republic City, to hold the balance and peace in the world. It was an immense task, and she was under a lot of pressure, that was for sure.

"Well, everyone expects so much of me. Now that we're repairing the damage done to Republic City everyone has high expectations of me to restore it. To make it as good as it was when Aang was in charge. Not just that, but to hold the balance and peace and suppress any remaining equalist groups. Mako has been helping me a lot by staying by my side but it's wearing at me terribly and it's only been a short time. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with it much longer," she sighed, taking a deep breath.

"The pressure and expectations from everyone makes me think about what would happen if I didn't have my bending, and I dream often of the time I stood at the edge of the cliff crying. But you see, tonight was different, this time I jumped," she concluded by hanging her head. All she could do was stare at the swirling steam still dancing off her tea after saying that last part, she couldn't look Tenzin in the eye.

Tenzin was shocked by this but understanding at the same time. "Korra that's terrible, I had no idea it was that bad. Hmm, I do believe the stress is taking a rather… Unkindly toll on you. I have a proposition for you, if you complete your duties for tomorrow, you can take a few days off and relax here on the island. You can invite Mako to stay with you, and I'll look after your duties for those few days. I think you definitely need a break." He lifted his cup and began to drink his tea as he awaited Korra's response.

Korra's eyes widened at what Tenzin proposed. It seemed like just the thing she needed. She followed Tenzin by drinking some of her tea, it was nice and warm and it soothed her. The idea of taking a few days off rolled around in her mind. She would feel bad leaving her duties, but knowing someone, someone she trusted, was willing to take her place during that time eased her mind.

Having Mako with her would help take her mind off the stress. He had been a perfect shoulder to lean on these past couple of weeks, and she couldn't be happier to have him by her side.

Korra concluded in her mind that this proposition sounded like an excellent idea and took another sip at her tea.

"Tenzin that's really kind of you, I'd really like that," she said as her response.

Tenzin finished off his tea before speaking, letting out a satisfied sigh as he sipped the last drop, and Korra finished hers as well. "Then it's settled, after tomorrow you can take a few days off. I'm still very concerned about your most recent dream. I hope talking has helped ease your mind, if I was you I would pull Mako aside tomorrow and talk with him as well. We're all here to help you Korra."

A strange feeling of relief washed over Korra as her eyes watered up and she sobbed a little. "Thank you Tenzin, that means so much to me," she tried to say clearly but was choking on her words. She got up and walked over to Tenzin and hugged him, and began to cry.

Her eyes were puffy when she pulled away. She was so glad that Tenzin could understand her situation so well and that he was always there. Tenzin smiled at her softly as he walked back to the door.

"Make sure you try get some more sleep tonight, you have nothing to worry about Korra. Remember what I said just before," he said, and disappeared in the direction of his bedroom.

Korra decided to go stand by the window again, this time looking out towards the building Mako was sleeping in not far from hers. She took in the fresh air and sighed, smiling as she turned to make her way back to bed.

As she made her way back to bed, Korra felt fatigue take over her. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. The rest of her dreams were peaceful and relaxed, imagining what her days off would be like.

**A/N: So here's the first chapter of my new fic I'm working on. Stay tuned for chapter two in a few days. Again thanks to my friend Emma for reading this and giving me some tips. Read and review, and enjoy!**


	2. A day in the life of the Avatar

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I've been quite busy lately. The third chapter will be a while, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this one!**

Korra woke feeling tired, but refreshed. Last night wasn't a pleasant experience whatsoever.

She stayed lying down, looking up at her ceiling, studying the patterns in the wood as she thought out the day ahead of her. It was her plan to pull Mako aside and tell him about her nightmare last night as Tenzin had suggested. She's also going to ask him to stay with her a few days.

It was her last day of duties before she could take the next few off. How many days exactly she was not sure. She was sure, however, that Tenzin would look after her duties as long as necessary for her to recover.

Today, she had to go help Lin and the police subdue a few small equalist groups that were causing trouble and trying to protest despite their false leader disappearing. It wasn't a difficult task. However, she knew she had to be careful; chi-blockers still participated in these groups.

She rolled her eyes at the thought of chasing after even more equalists and decided to get up. It was a difficult task, but she managed to swing her legs over the side of her bed and stretch fully, releasing the tension from the night she just endured.

It was a fine day, and that proved enough to bring a smile to Korra's somewhat grim face. After last night, she really wasn't sure what to feel. It definitely helped that Tenzin came to her but her mind was still torn up about that nightmare.

For her own sake and the sake of those she would be working with during the day, she pushed the thought of the nightmare to the back of her mind. At least until she could talk to Mako about it.

She got dressed and walked to the door, taking in a deep breath as she got ready to face the day ahead.

As soon as she opened the door a young Air Bender rushed passed on their air scooter. Ikki, she assumed.

"Morning Korra!" Came a voice fast approaching, the Air Bender had turned around and was now coming back the other way.

She had assumed right, it was Ikki racing around.

"Morning Ikki, what are you doing up so early," Korra said flatly.

"I decided to get up early, to help make breakfast! But now I'm going to go meditate!" Ikki replied excitedly and raced off once again.

"Breakfast…" Korra mumbled under her breath. Yes, she was looking forward to something to eat, but what if Tenzin told Pema about last night. It would make for an extremely awkward encounter.

Deciding to bite the bullet, Korra walked down to the dining area. She walked into the dining area and sat straight down at the table. Hot food and tea were already served in front of her.

"Morning Korra, the food's hot so eat it quickly before it goes cold!" Pema called from the kitchen around the corner.

"Thanks Pema," Korra called back as she began to eat.

It was a rather brisk morning; there was morning dew on the grass outside. The hot breakfast provided some much needed warmth, a welcome sensation in the cold weather.

Once Korra had finished she took her plate into the kitchen where Pema was cleaning a few dishes. Pema turned to face her as she picked up another dish and began drying it with the rag in her hand.

"I heard about what happened last night Korra, I hope you're ok," Pema said cautiously, trying not to dive right into the subject and make Korra uncomfortable.

Korra scratched the back of her head and shuffled on the spot, not quite sure how to respond.

Eventually she said, "Yeah, I'm fine now though, really. Tenzin was very kind to me and is going to look after my duties for a few days."

"He is a rather supportive man, very understanding. I'm glad he's helping you through this." Pema said, smiling at Korra.

Relief swept over Korra as the conversation didn't turn out too awkward like she thought it might.

"Yes, I'm so thankful for his help. It means the world right now," Korra said.

Looking up, Korra accidentally made eye contact and decided to get out as quick as she could. "I think I need to head over to the city hall to, uhh, meet with Tenzin and the other council members. Thanks for the hot breakfast Pema!"

"You're most welcome Korra," She said.

Korra ducked out the door before anything more could be said, hoping to avoid any further conversation on the subject and headed towards the dock.

When she boarded the ferry to Republic City, she moved up to the bow to enjoy the view. The morning was still cool, and the water was calm. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad day after all, Korra thought.

It wasn't long before the ferry arrived, and Korra welcomed the solid ground as she stepped off.

She had left Naga behind today. Today she was going by foot mainly for convenience for the task ahead of her. No use attempting a sneak attack with a polar bear dog. But there was no worry in leaving Naga at the island; she will get plenty of attention from the three Air Bending kids.

Korra observed the city as she walked towards the hall. Everything seemed to be much better after Amon's disappearance; people were walking about the streets as usual once again without the worry of being attacked.

Although things appeared to be better, Korra could still observe the damage that had been done as she walked through the streets. Buildings were still damaged, rubble still lay about in the streets and a lot of buildings had been abandoned.

It hurt Korra to see the city in such a state, but she knew she was the solution to this mess. She is the one who will lead in the repair of Republic City, something she could be proud of, to uphold Avatar Aang's legacy.

The thought of upholding Avatar Aang's legacy was a daunting one, but she knew she could do it.

By the time she reached the city hall, Korra had achieved a determined mindset that she would make it through the day, whatever lay ahead.

She walked into the meeting room where the other council members as well as Asami, Bolin, Lin and Mako were already seated around the table.

Tenzin motioned towards the free seat next to Mako and gave her a reassuring look. As she sat down, Mako glanced at her and smiled.

"Morning Korra, good to see you here," Mako said chirpily.

"Morning," she said, at loss for words as she stared into his eyes. They were so gold, so deep… But before she could distract herself too much the meeting began.

Tenzin stood and cleared his throat as means of gaining everyone's attention, eying them all as he looked around the table.

"I'm glad you could all make it. Today, we're tasked with eliminating a small group of equalists dwelling under an abandoned warehouse," he said, speaking with authority. "It is small enough for only a select few of us to take out. I have talked with the other council members and we have decided on a small team to go in. Mako, you will be leading this raid. Asami, Bolin, Korra and Lin will be with him and we will have a small group of Lin's metal benders waiting outside."

Korra looked at Mako; he appeared to be very confident with his role in this raid. His face was firm and his back straight as he stood up to address those in the room.

As he stood, Korra caught a glimpse of Asami, who was smiling at her. Korra admired her strength, even after Mako left her she could still hold herself together and be happy.

"We will make this raid as quick and efficient as possible, which means maintaining the highest level of alertness. Lin has found a small tunnel leading into the compound where the equalists are. I will lead the way through and direct us where to go. Remember some of these equalists are also chi-blockers, so be quick on your feet and don't let them get you. All people are to be bound up," he finished speaking and nodded at Tenzin as he sat down.

"Good luck and be safe. There will be a press conference in the afternoon in regards to this raid," Tenzin said.

"So, Mako, taking the lead are we?" Korra said to Mako as she turned to him.

"I guess so, you ready," he asked, looking at her. A hint of concern was in his tone and Korra wondered if Tenzin had said anything to him. But she would ask him later, she needed to focus.

"Sure am, let's do this," she said confidently, standing up to make her way to the door.

The team was close behind her as they strode out of the city hall to the van that would transport them to the abandoned warehouse.

They piled into the van, Lin's metal benders sat in the front. Korra squished up against Mako as Lin shuffled in next to them. Asami and Bolin sat across from them; it was a rather tightly packed van.

As the van set off, they all swayed from the motion and Korra gripped Mako's arm to keep her balance. Mako reached his other arm around and placed his hand on Korra's shoulder.

She loosened her grip and leaned against him, enjoying their closeness before they began the raid. Mako was strong and confident, and she felt safe by his side.

Korra realised they were nearing the abandoned warehouse and composed herself. She pulled away from Mako and began to breathe deeply, focusing her mind on the task ahead. Mako understood what she was doing and thought best if he focused as well.

The doors swung open as the van came to a halt at the abandoned warehouse. They formed a tight circle just outside the van, surrounded by the metal benders.

"Where's the entrance," Bolin asked looking at Lin. She bent her shoe off and stomped the ground, gaining a view of the network of tunnels beneath them.

"This way, come with me," she said as she bent her shoe back on and walked towards a hut across the road from the warehouse. "The entrance is just in here," she said, opening the door to the hut cautiously.

"A trap door," Mako said stating the obvious. "All right, everyone stay close. Ready?" He said turning to the others as they nodded their confirmation.

"Let's do this," Korra whispered, and Mako shot a quick smile at her.

Lin signalled for the metal benders to remain outside the hut and keep guard of the entrance. "Be ready for when we come back up, we'll need to contain the equalists in the van on the way back," she said firmly, and they nodded in understanding.

Mako lit a small flame in his hand and climbed down. He was quickly followed by his brother and Asami. Korra and Lin weren't far behind. They stuck in a close pack as they crept down the tunnel, staying alert for any ambush or stray individual.

They reached the main compound and looked at the small group of people there, only five. They still had their equalist equipment lying around and were sitting around a small fire.

Mako put the flame in his hand out and motioned towards a pile of boxes along the side of the wall, a perfect hiding spot.

"Quickly, behind those boxes," he whispered just loud enough to be heard by the group and they nodded and ducked as quickly and quietly as they could over to the boxes.

Korra turned to Mako and whispered, "Got a plan yet?"

Mako nodded and turned to the others. "We have equal numbers and the element of surprise. Bolin, Korra and I can handle fighting them and wearing them down. Asami, you need to block their chi. Lin, you need to bind them so we can move them back to the van."

They all nodded in agreement and readied themselves, taking a number of deep breathes before they stepped out from behind the boxes.

Their presence realised almost instantly as the equalists around the fire turned to face them, glaring in disgust. Bolin quickly bound two of them by the feet and Asami went after them. Korra and Mako were left facing the remaining three equalists head on.

One of them kept Mako distracted while two attacked Korra. She couldn't get away from them so she had no choice but to face them head on.

She managed to land a solid kick right in the centre of one of the equalists chests and he stumbled back and fell with a yelp of pain. Korra cringed but continued to fight the remaining equalist as best she could.

Mako was also facing the equalist attacking him head on; Korra could see flurries of kicks and punches in her peripheral vision but stayed focused on her own fight.

Korra attempted to throw a punch at one of the equalists heads, but he managed to duck down out of the way. In their position, Korra's side was left exposed and unfortunately the equalist was also a chi-blocker.

He jabbed a number of points down Korra's side and she went limp, stumbling back as she received another set of jabs to her other side. Eventually she couldn't stand, and she crumpled to the ground.

Terror gripped Korra as she lay motionless on the ground, looking up as the chi-blocker lifted his leg, about to deliver an all-out kick. She closed her eyes tight trying to brace herself, but when the kick didn't come, she opened her eyes.

She saw the chi-blocker and the other equalist that was fighting Mako lying motionless on the ground. Turning her head, she saw Mako leaning over and panting hard.

Connecting these two observations, it occurred to her that Mako had taken them both out. He had saved her.

Mako walked over to her and leant down beside her.

"Korra are you okay," he said frantically as he looked at her anxiously.

"I'm fine Mako, they just blocked my chi. They didn't manage to hurt me… You saved me," she said whispering, trying to muster the strength to speak properly.

"I couldn't let them hurt you," he said as he scooped her up in his arms. "Asami, Bolin and Lin have managed to take out the remaining equalists and are moving them up to the van."

He began to walk back through the tunnel they came in through, and Korra leaned into him.

When they got back to the surface, Korra observed that a second van had arrived to transport the equalists to the prison whilst the others were already back in the van waiting for them.

By the time they got into the van, Korra was able to hold herself up, so Mako sat her down in the back of the van and slid in next to her.

"Are you okay Korra," Asami said, also gaining anxious looks from Bolin and Lin.

"I'm fine, they managed to block my chi but they didn't injure me." Korra said. She was glad Mako had managed to stop them before they managed to injure her.

She leant her had against him as they travelled back to the city hall, relieved that she had him by her side.

When they arrived back they were greeted by Tenzin, who was glad to see them all back safe.

"I'm glad to see you all back safely; it's time we spoke to the press however. Come along," he said turning around.

"They did block my chi though," Korra said to Tenzin as she moved to walk beside him. "I felt so vulnerable in that moment but Mako saved me."

Tenzin shot a look at her, eyebrows furrowed. He was obviously concerned but at the same time could see she was perfectly fine now, at least physically. He looked across at Mako and his face softened.

"Thank you for protecting Korra, Mako. I can't thank you enough," Tenzin said in his usual calm tone.

"Anything to protect Korra," he said looking back at Tenzin before looking at Korra and smiling.

It wasn't long before they were lined up in seats before a crowd of reporters waiting to ask questions on the raid they just conducted.

Cameras were flashing and Korra couldn't help but lift her arm to cover her eyes. After letting her eyes recover she squinted and lowered her arm, and this time the flashes weren't as bad.

Tenzin stood and walked to the podium to address the reporters standing before them.

"Today we conducted a small raid on a hidden group of remaining equalists," Tenzin spoke with confidence, standing tall. "It is critical that we remove these small groups, as no matter how small they are, they are causing disruption. The raid was successful, no one was majorly harmed and all arrested equalists are being held until they get trialled at a later date. We will continue to investigate any claims of equalist presence in Republic City and we will not rest until they are gone. It is time we restore balance in this city." He finished with a strong voice that prompted applause from the crowd of reporters.

He turned and faced Korra and the others who conducted the raid, who were still sitting lined up.

"You may leave now, I plan to stay and discuss details with reporters who have any questions," Tenzin said, eyes moving along the row looking each of them in the eye.

They promptly got out of their seats and filed off the stage.

They walked aimlessly for a short while before stopping in the park.

"I'm going to head home, I have some business to take care of," Lin said to the lot of them, before waving and turning to head home.

"As do I, I have to sort out things regarding future industries and the mansion now there's time. If you guys need me you can drop buy anytime!" Said Asami enthusiastically before running off.

"Take care, we'll see you soon!" Korra called to her. Asami was always extremely happy, even after everything that had happened to her, Korra thought.

"Mako, I might head back to the Arena to oversee the repairs to our apartment and then head to Asami's. You can stay with Korra," said Bolin, smiling as usual.

"But Bo-" Mako tried to say something to his brother but before he had a chance he was gone. "What's going on! Everyone just left!" He cried out.

"I'm still here you know," Korra pouted.

"Oh right, sorry Korra…" He walked over and hugged her. "You're always here."

"You know it, city boy. I have to talk to you about something though," they stood holding each other with no intention of moving.

"Anything, Korra," he mumbled into her hair.

"Well, ever since Amon disappeared I've been having nightmares," she tried not to sound too shaken by the memories of her nightmares, "nightmares about what might have happened if I lost my bending for good."

"Korra, but you're okay now, everything's okay now," he said trying to sound as caring as he could.

"I know it is but I still have the nightmares. I always dream about that moment on the cliff. What would happen if my bending wasn't restored. But the other night I had nowhere else to go and…" she choked, holding back tears that were forming in her eyes. "I jumped." Now she cried into his shoulder, traumatized once again by the memory.

"I had no idea it was that bad," he said pulling her in tighter. "I can't begin to understand how scary that must have been, but I'm here for you."

She continued to sob into his shoulder; she didn't hold anything back now. She had to let it out.

It was the better part of ten minutes before Korra could compose herself enough to talk.

"I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Mako," she sniffled.

"It's okay, there's nothing to be sorry about," he said as he kissed her softly on the forehead.

A warm sensation rushed through Korra, and in that moment she felt safe. Safe from the past few months of chaos.

"Tenzin said I should take a few days to rest. I'm going to be staying on the island," she said, now calmed down.

"I would be more than inclined to agree with him on that," he nodded.

"Would you stay with me," she asked shyly. She needed him there with her.

"Of course I would," he said as he pulled back from the embrace and looked at her.

Korra's eyes were still puffy and she was still sniffling a little. But to him, she was beautiful even at her lowest points. He was glad to be the one to be by her side.

Korra built up the confidence to step up to him and kiss him softly on the lips. Quickly giving in, Mako returned the kiss gently. They completed each other in that moment.


	3. Korra's final day off

**A/N: So this has been put off for months, and I'm on holidays currently so I decided it was time to finish this off, for Christmas :) hope you guys have liked this story, this is the final chapter.**

Korra was sitting on her favourite point on the island, where the others had once found her crying. It was her last day off to relax from her duties after her traumatizing nightmare.

She had woken in the middle of the night, terrified by her nightmare. It wasn't violent like many of her past nightmares, but haunting. In her dream, she was on the edge of the cliff where Aang had come to her. Except in her dream, he didn't come. Her bending was never restored, and she sunk further into despair as she had stood at the edge. Eventually, it dragged her down, down enough that she jumped off the edge.

As she thought about it, she could feel hot tears building behind her eyes. It wasn't something she liked to remember, but it plagued her more than she'd like.

She sniffled a little as she took in the sunrise, which was now at its most vibrant. The intense golden colour gave her a sense of peace as she took a few deep breaths.

Mako and the others were still asleep, she had come out alone this morning to think. To think about her life. But more so about Mako and her relationship with him.

She shuffled around a little to get more comfortable, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.  
Mako had become her second half now. She knew deep down that they were meant to be, and somehow she thought he knew that too. He was a tall handsome firebender, who was calm and collected, always seeming to keep his cool. A somewhat polar opposite to herself. She was highly strung, bounding with energy and burdened with a short fuse. Whenever things got difficult for her, or she was being irrational, he was always there to place a hand on her shoulder and guide her in the right direction.

Now that she finally had a break to recover, she was unspeakably glad that Mako could join her during her time off. There was finally time for them to bond, to be goofy together, be serious together and grow closer. If anyone could help her get over her nightmare, it would be him.

The thought that he was here to look after her induced a warm and fuzzy feeling inside her, and a feeling of contempt washed over her.

She hugged herself tighter and rocked a little, taking in the fresh bay air as she continued to watch the sunrise. It wasn't much longer until she would have to head back before anyone else woke up.

One question hung in her mind, would Mako always be there?

Of course he would, she thought, and knew this to be true. She could see it in him, he was dedicated to her. The way he looked at her, the way he smiled at her, the way he held her and kept her close when she needed him the most.

It was nearly time for the Air Acolytes to rise and Korra thought it would be better to head back sooner rather than later. A long sigh escaped her as she stood up, stretching her back and turning towards the temple. A dawdle was all she could muster as she made her way back, she was peaceful and honestly wanted to stay out in her spot for longer, but she didn't want anyone to know she'd been out.

She headed through the temple to her room as quietly as possible, and crawled into her bed. There she lay, looking at the ceiling. Being as relaxed as she was, it didn't take long for sleep to come and take hold of her.

This time however her sleep was peaceful. A welcome change to her considering recent times.

It is only a few hours later however when she awakens to the sound of her name being called from downstairs.

She sits up slowly as to not disorient herself, and rubs her face with her hands.

"Korra, breakfast is ready!" It's Mako calling from downstairs.

"I'll be there in a minute," she calls back as she climbs out of bed and walks into the bathroom.

Her hair is a tangled mess and she looks as drowsy as ever. She turns the tap and lets the water flow at a moderate rate. In an attempt to rectify her dishevelled look she splashes water on her face and picks up her hair comb.

A muffled grunt escapes her as the comb catches in a knot in her hair, and with persistence, she eventually gets the comb through. She rubs her face with her hands and looks back in the mirror, deciding she looks somewhat presentable now. All that's missing is her usual top, which is laying on her bed. She pulls it over her head and makes her way out of her room and down to the kitchen.

"Morning city boy," Korra says, announcing her presence as Mako has his back turned.

"I made eggs for breakfast, I hope they're cooked how you like them." He turned and smiled at her, obviously proud of himself for making breakfast.

Korra let out a small laugh of amusement as she took the plate from him and sat down at the table. Mako shortly joined her and they ate in silence, regularly looking up and smiling at each other as they scoffed down they eggs.

It wasn't long before it turned into a race to see who could eat them the fastest, and Korra finished miles ahead of Mako.

As soon as she finished she sat back and looked at Mako, who paused mid-chew and glared at her.

"I win," Korra boasts loudly.

"Well you are the one with the big mouth," he replies, lifting an eyebrow as he starts chewing his food again.

"Hey! Am not!" Korra says loudly as she sits back in her chair and folds her arms.

"Sure are," Mako returns with a mumble as he has a mouth full of food. He swallows and looks up at her with a grin.

"Whatever," she pouts in reply, turning her head away from him.

Mako stands up, pushing his chair back, and walks around the table behind Korra. Her breath hitches as a firm hand plants itself on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't have you any other way," Mako whispers to her, "come, let's head outside."

Korra stands up and turns to walk towards the door beside Mako. They walk outside, the fresh morning air greets them. It's cool and refreshing and Korra takes a deep breath in. She sighs and turns her head towards Mako.

"So, where to?" She asks.

"Not sure. It's the time of morning where the kids would be practicing airbending right?"

"Yes, it would be actually. Want to head down and watch them for a bit?" She asks turning her head towards Mako.

"Sure, it's a lovely morning for sitting around, isn't it?" He smiles at her and starts to walk in the direction of the area where the kids are practicing their airbending. It isn't but a moment later that Korra finds herself reaching for Mako's hand in an attempt to feel closer to him. Eventually after a bit of fumbling she manages to wind her fingers through his, and she allows herself a small smile of satisfaction. Mako gives her hand a small squeeze and smiles softly at her. She feels warmth rush through her cheeks and giggles a little as they continue strolling.

Eventually they arrive at the spinning gates. The three airbender kids are twirling and twisting through the gates under Tenzin's instruction.

"Good morning Korra," Tenzin said turning his head briefly as to not lose total focus on watching the kids practicing their airbending.

"Morning Tenzin," Korra shifted her feet awkwardly, feeling self-conscious of being so close to Mako in front of Tenzin. "How are they doing this morning?" She pointed towards the gates where Jinora looked like she was flowing fluidly through the gates without a hitch.

"They're doing well this morning. I hope you're feeling rested up Korra, tomorrow you restart your Avatar duties."

"I'm feeling good Tenzin, no need to worry. Mako has taken good care of me," she gently shouldered Mako to get him to say something.

"It's nothing, really. Korra's back to her normal self now," Mako struggled to find words being put on the spot and took a slight step away from Korra awkwardly.

"Glad to hear it, I'll expect you here tomorrow morning to restart your airbending training as well," Tenzin said.

"I'll be here bright and early," Korra said with a grin on her face. In all honesty, she was actually keen to get back to work. Being active was part of her nature.

Tenzin nodded his approval and returned his full focus to the training airbenders. He pumped both of his arms out in front of him and blew a strong gust through the gates to get them spinning again.

They spent the majority of the day meandering around the island before they decided that they would head over to the city for the evening.

When they arrived it was still mid-afternoon. It had turned out to be a beautiful day, the sky was clear and there was a gentle breeze drifting about them.

"Hey Mako, how about we head down to the park? We could kill some time down there."

"Suppose so, not sure there's much to do." Mako said. Truth be told there wasn't really much to do at all, it had also turned out to be a rather lazy day.

Korra wound her fingers through Mako's and they walked hand in hand down the sidewalk towards Republic City Park. There were a great deal of other people down at the park when they got there. It seemed many people had the same idea in mind, to kill time at the park on a lazy day.

They looked about for any free space to sit down, and eventually found a place in the shade under a large tree.

Korra let out a tremendous yawn as she sat down beside Mako..

"Don't tell me you're tired, you haven't even done anything today!"

"Yes I'm tired, because we haven't done anything. A nap would be really nice right now," Korra mumbled as she was beginning to drift off.

Not a word came out of Mako's mouth. Instead, he wrapped her arm around Korra's shoulder and pulled her in close so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

It wasn't long before they had both drifted off into a light sleep, and Mako had rested his free hand on Korra's stomach and she had placed her hands on it. There they slept, resting against each other comfortably in a light sleep.

They woke dazed and disoriented, as one usually does after a nap. Korra looked around, trying to regain her bearings. The sun had almost set and street lights had turned on. The park had gone mostly quiet. One thing became very apparent to Korra, she was hungry. Very hungry.

"Hey Mako," she nudged him gently in the sides.

"Yeah?" A mumble came from beside her.

"I'm hungry," she said, looking at Mako with wide eyes. She wanted food and she wanted it now.

"Alright, let's go find something to eat then, shall we?"

"Please, lets," she responded.

They walked through the city, arms around the others waist. Once they got into the main streets of the city, it was rather crowded. Mako however had an idea of what Korra might like on the final night of her break.

"Korra," he said, pausing on the spot.

"What is it Mako?" She asked him, wondering why they had stopped.

"How'd you like to go get some of your favourite water tribe noodles? It's just around the corner from here."

"I'd like that," she beamed at him.

Mako's heart always skipped a beat when she looked at him like that. Her eyes appeared to glow, and her smile made blood rush to his cheeks.

"Alright then, let's get going then," he said as he continued to walk again.

It was only a matter of minutes before they arrived at the small restaurant, and luckily for them there were free places for them to sit and eat.

They both ordered a bowl of the water tribe noodles and sat down at the table facing each other. An awkward silence fell over them as they looked at each other, unable to shift their eyes from each other. Mako one of his hands resting on the table, so Korra slowly reached for it with her own, placing it over the top.

She rubbed the back of his hand tenderly with her thumb, still no words spoken between them. A soft smile crept across Mako's face at Korra's touch.

"Your noodles," the waiter announced as he placed the bowls on the table in front of them.

"These look great," Mako said as he picked up his chopsticks to begin eating.

"They taste great too," a muffled voice comes from across the table. Korra has already stuffed her mouth full of them.

Mako lets out a small sigh as he begins to eat his own, politely. Unlike Korra who is stuffing her face full.

It wasn't long before they were both finished and leaning back in their seats feeling bloated.

"That was delicious!" Mako exclaimed, satisfied now that he was full.

"It was! But it's starting to get late, I really should be getting back to the island soon," Korra replied, fatigue notable in her voice.

"Might be an idea," Mako said, pushing against the table to help himself stand up. "Feeling rather full." He walked over to the counter to pay for their meal, Korra in tow.

The streets were somewhat quieter when they stepped back out, a tell-tale sign that it was getting late. About a half hour later they arrived back at the island, and Korra and Mako decided they'd stay together for the night.

After they'd both readied themselves for bed, they climbed in under the sheets. Korra quickly scooted over to Mako and snuggled up beside him as close as she could get.

"Korra," he sighed, "how am I going to sleep with you there?"

"You're just going to have to deal with it, city boy," she said cheekily, a grin on her face that Mako couldn't see in the dark.

Mako twisted on his side towards Korra, and planted a gentle kiss to the back of her head. She sighed happily in response and shuffled away slightly from Mako to allow him to sleep.

"I love you, Korra," Mako whispered.

"I love you too, Mako. Thanks for staying with me, it means the world to have you around," she mumbled drowsily as she felt herself drifting off into sleep.

She let herself continue drifting off as there were no more words, but rather Mako had begun running her hair through his fingers.

In the morning, she would face her duties again. Except now she was ready, she'd relaxed the last few days with Mako by her side, and that made all the difference. She knew she was mentally prepared and strong enough to get back to work, and she knew she had Mako and her friends and family by her side.


End file.
